Electrical switch



Jan. 7, 1936. H 'M DRESSEL HAL A 2,026,773

ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed March 27, 1935 Henry M.Dresse/ f1.7. J. Kngz'. ,411 :om

. 4 ornkca and particularly to switches for use to another on radioreceivers, it

Patented Jan.V l7, 1936.

UNITEDY l'sTA'l'as .PATENT olv-Fica son, Arlington Heights, Ill.,vassignors to Oak Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinoisv Application Maren 2,7, 1935, serial No. 13,264

11 Claims.

'This invention relates to electrical switches,

on radio receivers. In switching circuits from one wave band is desirable to have a multi-point switch which is simple, inexpensive. and which will have a low and constant `contact resistance throughout a long useful life. While many switches for this purpose have been devisedfrepeated tests have indicated that it is difficult to make a switch vhaving the above c acteristics. -Most switches-tend to develop a high resistance at the contact junctions after some use. The switch herein described has been found to be highly satisfactory and is herewith described in connection with the drawing wherein Figure 1 is ay plan view looking down upon the top of the switch, with a part cut away; Figure ,2 is a vertical sectionalview of the switch on l-ine 2-2`of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top view down from 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is .a detail.

The switch comprises abase member I of insulating material, such as a phenol condensateproduct, preferably, though not necessarily, of circular contour, and being provided with a centrally disposed bushing 2. Bushing 2 is provided with -a threaded portion 3 for mounting upon a panel. Bushing 2 is maintained in place by having its end i5, turned over against a metal washer 6, which lies against base I.l

'Circularlydisposed around bushing 2 on base I are a plurality of stationary spring contacts ID, maintained in position by eyelets-II. Contact I0 is provided with a rectangular aperture I2, which is adapted to register with a similar aperture I3, in base I. To prevent rotation of contact I0 with respect to bas'e I, the contact has two ears l5 and I6, bent down to engage the opposite sides of rectangular slot I3.

Contact I0 has one end 20 thereof formed as a soldering lug and is bent up away from base I. The other end 2I of contact I0 is formed as a bent over spring.

The contact end 22, has lateral offset portions Y 23 and 24 of substantially greater width than the body portion I0. Offset portions 23 and 24 are bent downwardly toward base I for starting the rotor contacts thereon.

Mounted for rotation within bushing 2 is a Ashaft 30, having a reduced portion 3i and terminating in a rectangular portion 32. Shaft 30 is adapted to abut against a shoulder 33 in bushing 2 and is prevented inthis manner from further translatory movement in. an'fupward direction as seen in Figure 2. Moimted'-ionthe rectangular portion 32 of shaft 30 'are members 35, 35,

and 31. 35 is preferably a circular disc of metal.

Member 36 is preferably of insulating material similar to base I and carries a plurality of movable contacts 40. These contacts are preferably formed as small slugs, having tips 4I and 42 5 and bent along the arc of a circle as shown in Figure 1. Member 36 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed slots 43 and 44, of predetermined size, to accommodate tips 4I- and 42 of contacts 40. These tips are adapted to 10 be staked at 43a to maintain the contacts in member 36. The bottom part of contact 40 is preferably formed with a centrally projecting portion 45 for indexing, flanked on each side by-a I curvilinear portion 46. The relation of movable 15 contact 40 and stationary contact i0 is such that tip 22 of contact Ill,y tightly presses against curved portion 46 of the movable contact.

To maintain the rotor assembly intact, member `3l', which is preferably of metal, has a tongue 50 20 bent down through a slot in member36. Member 3l also has a long vtongue 5I, bent down and projecting through a slot in member 36 and having its free end adjacent base i. It is obvious that rotor member 36 is tightly locked 'to outer member 3l. The assembly is maintained intact by spinning the end 53 of shaft 30l over against member 31.

Washer 6 has one side thereof provided with a slot whose angular extent is a function of 30 the angle in which the entire rotor is to turn. Depending tongue 5i of the rotor assembly is long enough to project into slot 60 and engage theside walls 6I of the washer. In order to lock washer 6 against rotation, ears 62 are bent down into suit- 35 able openings in insulating member l.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric switch comprising an insulating stator disk, a shaft journalled therein, an in.- sulating rotor disk carried by said shaft, spring contacts carried by said statordisposed on the arc of a circleconcentric with said shaft, ecntacts carried by, said rotor circularLv disposed around said shaft and cooperating with stator` contacts, each rotor contact being adapted to complete a circuit between two adjacent stator kontacts in one position of the rotor, said rotor ycontacts comprising elongated metal members, ymeans for mounting said rotor contacts along an edge thereof on said rotor in proidmity -to said spring contacts, said rotor contacts having a free edge dividedcinto two contacting surfaces, each one adapted to be engaged by a spring contact and an irregularity in said edge between Said 5I adjacent contacting surfaces adapted to co-act with a spring contact for indexing said rotor. y

2. An electric switch comprising an insulating stator disk, a plurality of stationary contacts disposed thereon on the arc of a circle, a shaft rotatively mounted in said disk at the center of said circle, a rotor carried by said shaft, contacts carried by said rotor, a metal washer disposed adjacent said rotor, a finger integral with said washer extending toward said stator disk, and a stationary washer. carried by saidstator having a slot into which said nger extends for denning the range of adjustment of said rotor.

3. An electric switch comprising an insulating '15 disk having a plurality of contacts disposed thereon on .the arc of a circle, a shaft' concentric with said circle, means for rotatively Asupporting said shaft, a washer having an extended slot therein' surrounding said shaft and supported by said means, a rotor carrying movable contactsl coop.- .erating' with said stationary contacts; means including a washer for mounting said rotor on `said shaft, land a finger depending from said -rotor washer extending towardsaid first named washer and penetrating into said slot for dening the angular `extentof. travel of said rotor.

4. An electric switch comprising an insulatingv 'stationary disk, a shaft rotatatively mounted therein, contacts carried by said-disk on one of 3U its flat faces and disposed around said shaft, -a

rotormounted on said shaft comprising an in- ;sulating disk having'aI fiat face disposed adia-V f/ cent to and parallel to4 said first disk, means for -locking said rotor-disc on `said shaft, said vlocking means including a finger vextending from said rotor toward said stationary insulating disc,l a `stationary member o'n said stationary disc having a slot therein engaged by said nger for limiting rotor movement, contactscircularly 'dis- 6 posed on saidrotor on the at face nearest said first disk, saidirst .named contacts having spring -portions facing said rotor disk and said rotor '.contacts being rigid members having no spring thereto and 'adapted toengage said first named s contacts at the spring portions only.

5..Anelectric switchcomprising'a at stator insulating disk, a .shaft rotatively mounted there- -in, contacts mountedon said disk and disposed larourid.,s'aid shafton the arc-of a circle coneaud 4tric. therewith, a flat insulating rotor disk can'ried .by said shaft, contacts-*carried by said rotor disk .adapted vtoco-operate with the stator contacts,

fa' metal washer secured to said stator disk and forming a bearingtherein for said shaft, an ad 5 ditional metal washer rigidly secured to said shaftv and abutting the outer surface of said rotor disk,

a` linger depending from said additional .washer Y fthrough said rotor disktoward said first washer, .said rst washer being providedl with a slot into s() which said finger extends whereby the movement of s aid shaft'and rotoris limited.

6. An electric switch comprising astator in'- sulating disk carrying a plurality'of spring' conta'cts, 'a Vshaft"rot e'a.tiv ely carridin said disk, a

65 'rotor insulating disk carried by' said shaft, said rotor disk being provided with a plurality of elon- 'spaced slots disposed on the circumference 'ofa circle'having its centerhconcentric with the (shaft, andrelongated rigid contacts mounted in '70 'said slots, saidjrotor contacts on their edge, the mounting edge 'of each' contact posed at each aperture, each contact having a 10 registering similar aperture with a portion of the contact material depending through said stator disc adjacent at least one of the rectangular sides of the aperture, a round eyelet for each contact passing through the'registering apertures for 15 maintaining each contact in position, a slotted member carried by said stator disc, a rotor member carried by said shaft facing saidstator disc and provided with a. pluralitypf contacts and a member carried by said 'shaft provided with a 20 nger depending toward said stator disc and cooperating with said slotted member for denin'g A the limits of rotor travel.

8. An electric switch comprisinga fiat insulating disc, a bushing mounted in said disc and ex.-- 25 y tending therethrough,l a shaft rotatively mounted in ,said bushing, a series ofA rectangular apertures Lv'in said disc disposed around said shaft, on the arc of a circle concentric with said shaft, a spring contact carried by said disc at each aperture,r 3o

said spring contact having a. body- 'portion adapted .to overlie said disc provided with at least one tongue extending through said aperture at a vside thereof vfor holdings 'aid contact against rotation, said body portion of said contactex- 35 tending into a spring vcontact portion, a rotor disc carried by said shaft, a plurality, of elongated Ycontact slugs disposed on said rotor disc to coop# erate-with said stator contacts, said slugs being mounted along an edge with the opposite edge as 40 Y the contacting'surface, said edges lying on the -arc of .a circle concentric with said shaft. "i 9. The switch of claim-8 wherein said bushing carries a slotted member, and wherein said shaft carries -a member having a finger extending inte `the slot of Vsaid slotted member fordefining the limits. of rotor travel.

10. An electric switch comprisingan insulating disc, a shaft rotatively carried thereby, a plural-- ity of springstator contacts disposed'on said disc 50 on the arc of a circle concentric with'said shaft, -an insulating rotor disc carried by said'shaft and facing said stator disc, and a plurality ofcontact -slugs disposed onsaid rotordisc cooperating` with said stator contacts, each slug comprising van elongated metallic member with a plurality of projections extending from one of the long' edges, said 'slug being secured to said disc by having `said projections extend through apertures in said ,disc and deformingsaid projections on the o'ppoi 60 site'side of said disc to lock said slug in position, said long edges of said slugs lying on the arc of a circle concentric with said shaft. 11. The switch of claim 1 0 whereineach slug has a cente'projection on the other longedge i'i projection adapted -to'provide an indexing action.

KENNETH-c.' ALmsoN.y 

